Happily Ever After
by John Silver fan
Summary: Dooku must make a choice.
1. Chapter 1

_A galaxy divided by war, families are split apart, broken, and/or destroyed. When this tragedy reaches his own home, Count Dooku is faced with a difficult choice. In order to protect him to the best of his ability, the Sith Lord takes his ten year old stepson aboard his warship, the Invisible Hand, with him._

"Wow! This is ship is huge!" Jordan Dooku said as he looked around the _Invisible Hand_ as he followed close behind his stepfather.

Jordan was the son of one of Dooku's servants, Clara. His father had died when he was a baby, and Dooku, against his own will, had fallen in love with Clara and married her. They then changed Jordan's last name to Dooku as well.

"It's also very easy to get lost in if you don't know your way around."

They reached Dooku's quarters, set their stuff down, and headed to the bridge.

Jordan was amazed at all the battle droids.

"My Lord," came an eerie voice.

Jordan turned to see a large cyborg of some sort. He took a step closer to Dooku, frightened by the creature before them.

"General Greivous," the Count returned.

Greivous' yellow eyes turned to the boy at Dooku's side, and Jordan pressed closer to him. His stepfather put a hand on Jordan's shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"Greivous, this is my stepson, Jordan. Jordan, this is General Greivous."

Greivous nodded to the boy, and went down to the main controls.

"As long as you don't bother him or get in his way, he'll leave you alone."

"Okay."

Jordan had no intention of even talking to the general unless he absolutely had to.

************

Sidious's image appeared.

"What is it, Lord Tyranus?"

Dooku knelt and bowed his head.

"I have returned to the _Invisible Hand_, my master."

"Good. You know your orders. Do not fail me."

"I won't."

There was a brief pause.

"Was there something else, Lord Tyranus?"

"Yes, my master. I didn't come alone. I brought my ten year old stepson with me."

"Your stepson?"

The Count nodded.

"Yes, my master. I thought it would be best if he just came with me so I wouldn't have to keep going back to Serenno to see him and then make up a story as to why I have to leave again. His mother was killed, also, a few days, leaving me as his sole parent and guardian."

"Hmm. Very well, Lord Tyranus, I will allow it, but see to it that he won't be a distraction."

"Of course, my master. Thank you."

The transmition ended, and Dooku sighed softly in relief.


	2. Chapter 2

Jordan followed close behind Dooku as they were led to the throne room of the palace on Anu. They both bowed to the king.

"King Eli, I am Count Dooku, leader of the Separatists," Dooku said after he had straightened.

"Count Dooku, I have been looking forward to our meeting."

The king's gaze turned to Jordan.

"Who might you be, young one?"

Dooku put his hands on Jordan's shoulders.

"This is Jordan, my stepson."

The king gave Jordan a quick, small smile.

"Now then, Count, shall we begin negotiations?"

"Certainly, Your Majesty."

Jordan watched and listened as his stepfather showed his skills a politician.

"You are an incredible speaker, Count Dooku. Very well. Anu will join the Separatists."

Dooku bowed.

"You won't be disappointed, Your Majesty."

He and Jordan both bowed again and left.

************

Dooku went into Jordan's room to find the boy still in bed. He smiled slightly.

"Jordan, it's time to get up."

Jordan didn't respond.

"Jordan, wake up."

The boy still didn't respond.

Dooku went over to the bed and turned Jordan to face him. The boy's face was white and his cheeks bright red, signaling high fever. Dooku quickly took him to the med facility.

************

"He's somehow caught a rare disease. I'm afraid there's no cure," a small, medical droid said.

Dooku's face turned pale.

"He'll die?"

"I'm afraid so."

************

Dooku and Jordan laughed. They were sitting on Jordan's bed looking through the photo album, sharing stories about the pictures. Jordan had a cannula in his nose, attached to an oxygen tank.

"Remember this one, Dad?" Jordan asked, pointing to a picture of his mother on the beach.

"Oh, yeah. That was the day you buried me in the sand."

Jordan giggled.

"Yeah. Remember, I make it look like you had a fish tail?"

Dooku grinned.

"I remember. I also remember you dumping a bucket of water on my face."

"And then you swore so loudly that Mom seriously yelled at you for it."

They laughed.

"Yeah, I remember that."

Jordan began coughing violently. Dooku held him until his coughs died. The boy leaned back against his pillow, his face deathly pale.

"Jordan."

"Yeah, Dad?"

Dooku hesitated for a moment.

"Remember, how your mother let go of her soul?"

The boy nodded.

"Yeah. Why?"

Dooku paused and bit his lip, feeling tears begin to prick his eyes.

"I want you to close your eyes."

Jordan closed his eyes.

"Relax."

He did as told.

"And let go."

This last command was practically whispered, choked a little by tears.

Dooku felt the life leave the boy's body and, with trembling hands, removed the cannula from his nose. He leaned over and softly kissed his forehead, allowing his tears to flow down his face.


	3. Epilogue

(Dooku's POV)

When you have a young child, you learn a lot about fairytales. They all end the same way; happily ever after. They don't tell you that there may be pain, sorrow, and death.

It hurts me to look a young children, especially boys, because when I do, I think of and see Jordan. It's been a year since he died, and I have missed him every moment of every day since then. I will always miss him, but I remaind myself that he's no longer in pain and with his mother again.

I'll never forget Jordan and how he changed my life.

Sometimes it make seem like you're living in a fairytale, but you're not. In reality, especially in war, there is pain, there is sorrow, there is death.

The biggest difference between fairytales and reality is the ending.

Fairytales always end in happily ever after. Reality ends with death. In reality there is no happily ever after.


End file.
